The Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona updates the Destination Barcelona tourism forecast report as of 25/02/2022. This report highlights the effects of Covid-19 on the tourism sector.

Current Covid-19 restrictions in Catalonia

In Catalonia, until 03/03/22:

• Catering services: 100% capacity. A distance of 1.5m between tables must be kept. Dance activities are allowed with facemask. 
• Shops: 100% capacity. 
• Concerts, cinemas, theatres, auditoriums, circus tents, and similar spaces: 100% capacity. Activities with standing attendants and dance activities are allowed with facemask.
• Sports: 100% capacity. Sectors of 10,000 people outoors and 5,000 indoors must be established.
• Trade fairs, conventions, and congresses: allowed at 100% capacity.
• Nightlife: 100% capacity. Covid certificates are not required.
• Use of facemask: mandatory both in public use places or open to the public places, both indoors and outdoors.
• Ventilation and crowds control: any activity must be carried out guaranteeing a good ventilation and organizational measures to control crowds.

Source markets

The EU Digital COVID certificate is operational. In Spain, the entrance of passengers from EU countries (or zones) with risk is allowed if one of the following is presented:

1. Vaccination certificate

2. Diagnosis certificate

3. Recovery certificate

The rest of EU passengers, as well as no risk intercontinental countries passengers and are accepted without any certificate. 

On the other hand, passatgers who travel for non-essential reasons from risk intercontinental countries with a vaccination or a diagnosis certificate are also accepted.

Transportation offer

The forecasts show an increase in the number of seats operated worldwide through the next weeks, altough below prepandemic levels. However, it should be reminded that airlines continue to readjust their flight schedules week after week. In Spain, during next week, the air capacity will stand at -15.1% compared to the same week in 2019. At Barcelona Airport, 141 routes, 27 of them intercontinental, are currently operating.

During the following week, 5 cruise ships are leaving or making a stopover at Barcelona Port. In March about 26 cruises will operate in the city. The peak season will start in April, while in May and October, the maximum number of boats will be registered.

Tourist offer and professional events

The number of hotel establishments has remained stable: by the end of January 2022, 310 hotels and 59,944 bed supplies were open. As for the culture offer, 94,4% of the 89 monitored cultural facilities in Barcelona city are working.

The next professional events in Destination Barcelona, MWC and 4YFN will take place from 28/02 to 03/03. In 2022, 93 events are confirmed, and about 90 applications are open until 2027.

Tourist demand

Over the last week, Google searches from Spain for Barcelona city remained stable, while in Destination Barcelona they increased. Most of the searches for both geographical areas kept coming from Catalonia.

From 26/01 to 01/02, the Barcelona flights and accommodation searches achieved their best positioning in Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany, in this order. Destination Barcelona ranked 11th in searches of accommodation and 9th in searches of flights in the ranking of international destinations worldwide.

Finally, from 13/02 to 19/02, hotel reservations in Barcelona city stood, on average, at 93.0% compared to the series peak, which was on 15/02. These levels were slightly higher than those of the previous week (92.5%) and the lead time stood at 28 days. In the Barcelona region, bookings were made 22 days in advance and stood at 83.9% compared to series peak, which occurred the previous week, during which reservations stood, on average, at 92.6%. Concerning their origin, international bookings exceeded domestic ones in both geographical areas.

Destination Barcelona tourism forecast (25/02/2022)